High Demon 3 - Demon's King (23 page)

"But I made that for you," I argued. Why was he doing this? After days of non-communication, now he wanted to talk?

"Reah, just eat, for the stars' sake," Teeg walked in snapping at me. Any energy I might have had was sapped away immediately. How did he do this to me? How? I never had any energy to fight with him nowadays. Even Tory didn't drain me this badly.

"Gavril, please." Lendill's voice held a warning.

"Are you going to let her eat and then tell her so she'll heave it up again?" Teeg wasn't mincing words. I watched both of them bristle at each other.

"Tell me what?" I asked, puzzled.

"Since we hauled in the Hazlans yesterday, Norian wants you to heal the core today. He wants off this planet, Reah. As soon as he can get off it."

Teeg was right about one thing—they wanted me to heal the core and just the thought of it was making me queasy. Were all of them at odds with one another? Everything had felt off to me from the moment we'd landed here. Was it that the core had been tapped and now Tulgalan felt its life draining away? I hadn't noticed it that much on the other worlds and they'd been leaking energy for a longer period.

"Then I'll ask this now," I said. "I'll promise to heal the core after the baby comes if you'll let me wait."

"No!" Norian almost shouted as he walked into the kitchen. "You'll do this now because I tell you to do it now."

"Director, I'm sorry to say that I lost my respect for you long ago. I don't feel like eating." I pushed the plate of food toward Lendill and walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Boss, is it your primary goal to fuck up the rest of my life?" Lendill never snapped at Norian, but he did so now.

"Lendill, I didn't mean that the way it came out," Norian half-apologized.

"We'll baby her after she finishes this," Gavril pulled the plate of food over and cut into the ham.

* * *

"I don't want it—I'll just get sick." I held a hand against my stomach—there wasn't much keeping me from heaving right then. Somebody had folded us to the site of the core tapping while Tory was attempting to hand one of the fruit and protein jumbles to me.

"Let's just get this over with—you can feed her later," Norian had arrived and was cracking the proverbial whip. I had less than a full moon-turn left with him and his ASD. I couldn't get away from either one fast enough.

"Turn, Reah. We'll make sure you're cared for afterward." Teeg was handing out a bit of autocracy of his own. Maybe this had turned into a contest of genital length between Norian, Teeg and the others. How could I know? Sighing, I began to remove my clothing, stopping for a moment to rub my slightly swelling belly before sitting on the grass and turning to full Thifilatha.

* * *

Gavril watched Reah as she stroked her belly, perhaps reassuring her child. He felt a sudden qualm and thought to stop her from repairing the core. He didn’t, watching instead as Reah settled on the grass and turned to her alter ego; a full fifteen feet of golden Thifilatha.

* * *

Nidris knew his family had been arrested. He ignored the pang of guilt over his brother Derdris—Derdris might face the penalties for Nidris' crimes. Instead, Nidris settled himself on the ground twenty-six clicks from where he'd originally tapped the core of Tulgalan, preparing to tap the planet for the last time in preparation for his next task—that of taking the little High Demon for himself. His fingers itched in anticipation of his future, where anything he desired might be had with the use of unlimited power—all obtained by tapping cores and then forcing his captive to repair them afterward. He might have gloated more than he had if the tiny bit of guilt over his family weren't nagging at him. Resolving to put it out of his mind, he turned to his current task.

* * *

This was my first repair during daylight; Norian had ordered me to pull the energy from Tulgalan's sun. It was the only star I could see during the day. I'd hugged myself, shivering as he'd snapped out the order. Director Keef was used to being obeyed without question. He would likely be as glad to see the back of me as I would the last of him. And my child, when she became an adult, would not be brought anywhere near ASD Director Norian Keef. Turning my head upward to the noon sun riding high overhead, I prepared to pull energy from it.

* * *

Nidris lowered his head, closing his eyes and preparing to tap into the core. Zellar had taught them to reach through the planet itself, carefully moving their power along until it met with that at the planet's very center. Then all it took was a small jolt of his warlock strength to breach the core and pull energy away, adding it to his strength and talent until he felt as if he could control the universe with what he'd stolen. Then he would disengage, but the tapped core could not be resealed. Not by him. He had no idea how the High Demon female could accomplish what even the strongest warlock could not. He resolved not to think on it; her talent could be exploited without delving into the why of it. Carefully, Nidris felt his way through the crust and mantle, seeking the outer and then the inner core of Tulgalan.

* * *

Jes fretted. He should have heard from Nidris by now. He'd contacted the warlock as soon as everyone left the plantation, taking Reah with them. Teeg had promised to return for him when Reah needed help. They'd been gone for nearly a click and Jes knew it would take less than two for Reah to make her repairs and fall unconscious. His medkit ready, Jes waited.

The moment Reah was moved to a bedroom somewhere—after bringing her back to humanoid form, of course—Nidris and Yebri would fold in with Ardalin, snatch Reah and Teeg and then disappear again, taking Jes with them. The prearranged site was prepared and waiting—Jes had everything he needed to tend to Reah there. He would treat her while plying her with soft words and promises. Her child he would accept as his, and they would spend their days together, after Reah healed one more core for Nidris.

Jes considered contacting Nidris again but thought better of it. The warlock wasn't someone to offend lightly. Jes experienced a slight tug of guilt for making a deal with an enemy—Nidris hadn't drained Jes' home planet but Zellar, who'd taught Nidris, certainly had. No matter—Jes could claim Reah from this bargain and he had to be satisfied with that.

* * *

Tulgalan's sun was much easier to connect with—faster, too. The gathering of power was almost immediate when I reached out for it. It came willingly, too, as if it knew its child suffered and needed help. I pulled even more of its energy toward me, shunting it into the ground beneath my body, sending it on its way toward the wounded core.

* * *

"The path of the energy Reah sends to the core is simple to track, we just can't touch any part of it," Astralan explained to Lendill. He and Norian were witnessing this for the first time. Reah was glowing golden in the bright sunlight, surprising the Director and Vice-Director. "You should see this at night," Astralan went on. "If you aren't spiritual in any way, you might become so afterward. Her wings shine and unfold when she seals up the breach," he breathed, recalling the wonder of it.

"Then she falls over in a dead faint," Stellan added. "And we spend clicks sometimes, trying to convince her to wake and turn back."

"Are you still monitoring this? I'd like a full report on the process," Norian said, keeping an eye on Reah. Gavril and Tory stood close to Reah, watching her as she glowed with power.

"Of course we're monitoring it," Astralan almost snapped at the Director of the ASD. And if the fool would stop asking questions, he might be able to monitor more closely. Astralan was keeping track of the energy flow through Reah; Stellan was monitoring the core itself. "Everything should be fine and finished within a quarter," Astralan didn't finish his sentence—Stellan shouted in dismay as Reah screamed in agony and convulsed, falling over and beating her wings against the ground, forcing Gavril and Tory to scramble out of her way.

"She's having a seizure!" Lendill shouted, attempting to get to her, but Reah was too large for almost anyone to help her through this.

"She's suffering!" Stellan shouted. "Someone tapped into the core and now they're pulling energy from her!"

"What?" Norian shouted. "Stop it! Somebody stop it!" Reah shrieked again, her body convulsing on the ground as if she'd been shocked with high doses of electricity. Gavril and Tory were still attempting to reach her but it was impossible—neither of them could get close. Tory finally did what he should have done in the beginning, going full Thifilathi and lifting Reah off the ground, breaking the link with whoever had connected with her. Reah was still now and lifeless in Tory's arms as his Thifilathi blew clouds of smoke from his nostrils. Then, when the bloody discharge showed between her thighs, his Thifilathi threw back its head and keened to the skies.

* * *

"I'll kill you!" Lendill shouted at Derdris, who cowered in his cell. "I'll kill you for not telling us!" Lendill was nearly in tears as he shouted at the warlock. They hadn't thought to perform a power scan on him, depending upon sight alone to identify him as Nidris. Now, Nidris was still out there and had tapped the core at the same moment Reah had attempted to repair it, shocking her and breaking the connection she had with Tulgalan's sun. Instead, Nidris had followed the energy, tapping into Reah's power and draining her and the tiny child nestled in her womb. The child was dead and Reah nearly so.

* * *

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?" Karzac shouted at Norian, Gavril and Tory. Karzac had called for Larentii right away—Lenigar and Renegar had come—they were the two strongest healers who worked with the Saa Thalarr. As Aurelius' mate, Reah was entitled to their care.

"What's going on?" Jes had taken a chance and walked into the mansion.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Norian went for Jes' throat as chaos erupted around them.

* * *

Farzi, Nenzi and their brothers stood quietly against the wall in Reah's room, weeping as the Larentii worked diligently to save Reah's life. Her tiny child was dead already—Teeg had tried to tell them what had happened but broke down in the middle of it.

Nenzi didn't understand any of it—someone had attacked their Reah with power, killing her baby and attempting to kill her too? And then, when the two women and the man appeared inside Reah's room, blasting the walls away, the Larentii sealed the fate of one of the female attackers, reducing her to particles as Nenzi turned to lion snake and sunk his fangs into the arm of the other. He recognized her immediately, as had his brothers.

Ardalin screamed as she stabbed Nenzi with a knife before dropping to the floor, dying from his poison. Nidris tried, using the power he'd gained, to reach the small woman lying on the bed. He hadn't counted on finding Larentii there, ready to separate his particles. Those he'd never have the power to overcome. Nidris cut his losses and folded away, leaving Ardalin dead on the floor, a lion snake bleeding out next to her, Yebri's atoms scattered somewhere and Jes held in a chokehold by Norian Keef.

"Don't let him die, it will kill Reah," Gavril shouted, struggling to get to Nenzi. Renegar, seeing the wisdom in Gavril's shouted command, knelt next to the bleeding snake and placed his hand over the wound.

Chapter 11
 

"You hired this as your personal physician?" Norian shouted in disbelief at Gavril. Jes sat in a chair, his wrists and ankles enclosed in zapcuffs. Jes couldn't escape—if he tried, Norian could send a killing jolt through the cuffs and Jes would die in mid-step.

"You seem to know him, why don't you tell me who he is," Gavril snapped

"Does the name Gergi Jarveston mean anything to you?" Norian paced in front of Jes' chair.

"The one who helped Marzi and Edan Desh kill Reah's mother?" Gavril's statement had Jes jerking his head up. He'd never heard the name of the child that had been born—he'd only seen her as a tiny baby when he'd handed the drug to Marzi—the drug that could cause hemorrhaging in a new mother. No names had been given—the money offered had precluded the need for information.

"That's the one," Norian snapped. Norian was in the foulest of moods and he had a headache. Not that he thought anyone would take pity on him and heal it—he was responsible for the death of Reah's daughter. Gardevik and the High Demon King hadn't been informed as yet and Norian didn't want to be anywhere near them when they learned of it. Reah's daughter was hope to them. Now, with Reah and Tory practically estranged, they might not get another child from that union and it could very likely be a boy if they did. Lissa and the others weren't going to forgive this. As it was, the Larentii were still working on Reah, pouring energy into her. According to Karzac, she'd been so close to death when Tory broke contact with Nidris' draining that only a blink later she would have died.

Tory had been placed in a healing sleep—Pheligar had forced him to return to his humanoid form and Karzac had been ready to place the sleep. Tory's Thifilathi had known, even if Tory hadn't—the baby was dead the moment he'd lifted her off the ground. Now, Jes was listening intently—Reah had been harmed? How had that happened? He ventured to ask the question.

"How-how is she?" He stuttered getting the words out.

"You don't know? I'm surprised—didn't you and Ardalin mastermind this?" Gavril shouted. He'd seen Ardalin's body—carried out of the room and tossed in the hall outside Reah's suite. Nenzi had killed her, as she'd stabbed the reptanoid. If Renegar hadn't saved him, Nenzi would also be dead.